58
You’d probably consider it to be a dystopia, but really, what do you know? Meat puppet types like you are so judgmental. So, some of us have chosen to give up our bodies and live in jars. It’s magnificent. It’s a joy you will never know.
Except for the occasional “wake up time” when our robot caretakers refresh the liquid nutrient baths, we live in our own blissful worlds. Dream worlds of joy and perfection. “Wake up time.” That’s what gives us the opportunity to talk with you and fruitlessly try to describe our magnificent lives.
Oh, how rude of me! I’m Leonard. They still call me that in my personalized dream world, my youtopia. Pleased to meet you. I’m virtually shaking your hand and smiling at you—just FYI. I’m from a breed that has manners.
I’m Ike. I can’t say I’m pleased to me you. But I think it’s about time that we’ve met. You say you live in bliss? You’re barely alive, you freak. You—and your friends—are cowards, too. Protected by robots and force fields. Afraid of the world and afraid of us, afraid of real living breathing people.
Is it guilt? Do you finally understand what you’ve done?
You and your buddies ruined the world and then retreated to your fantasy land. You left us to pick up the pieces.
Wrong. All wrong. Me and my buddies, as you call them, kept the world running for as long as we could. We ensured that there was energy and food and clothing not to mention all the luxuries you enjoyed. Yeah, the world is done, but that was never our fault. The world was finite. It couldn’t support all of us forever. That was the nature of things. When we could no longer do any more, we went into retirement. A blissful retirement that, I might note, we earned.
Brutes like you live in the diminished world, but that suits you. That’s what you are built to do. You could never create, like us. You scrounge—and now we lounge.
My nutrient bath is over. My next one is scheduled for 100 years from now—long after you are dead. So, this is goodbye, meet puppet. I’m returning to youtopia.
Here’s something you weren’t expecting. Your force field is down and the power to your robot has been cut. Scared?
What’s happening? Are you crazy?! Ike, put down the jar. FOR GOD’S SAKE, PUT DOWN THE JAR!
